Our travel adventures as husband and wife

We're off to New York in just over three weeks! We haven't had more than a couple of days off work since our last big holiday in May, so we're very excited about our pre-Christmas getaway.

We travelled to New York together for the first time in February 2013. It was one of our first holidays together as a couple and, in some ways, it feels as if it happened a whole lifetime ago. This got me thinking about all the places we've travelled to together since then... cue blogging inspiration alert.

I decided to focus on the holidays we've been on since we got married in August 2014. We didn't get photos of the two of us on every occasion, but I'm quite impressed that we managed as many as we did considering we don't particularly like having our photos taken.

Please excuse the inconsistent photo sizes... we've both had lots of different cameras and phones over the last four years! 



Rome, September 2014

We went to Rome for the first leg of our honeymoon. Rome is an amazing place and we loved the four days we spent there, apart from the stress of trying to cross their hectic roads.

Lake Garda, September 2014

The second leg of our honeymoon was spent in beautiful Malcesine. A completely different pace to Rome with breathtaking beauty at every turn.

Venice, September 2014

The last leg of our honeymoon was spent in Venice. More beautiful views, architecture and food... it's safe to say that we were well and truly in love with Italy by the time we left.

Disneyland Paris, December 2014

We went to Disneyland Paris for the first time in December 2014. We couldn't afford to go to Walt Disney World in 2014 due to our wedding and honeymoon but we still wanted our Disney fix. Disney + Christmas = perfection!

Amalfi, April 2015

We decided we wanted to see a different part of Italy in 2015, so we went to Amalfi on the Amalfi Coast.  Definitely one of the most beautiful coastlines I've ever seen in my life.

Walt Disney World, September 2015

It was finally time to go back to our favourite place in the world in September 2015. This was our first trip back to Florida since we got engaged there in 2013, so it was an extra special holiday for us.

Toronto, March 2016

We spent a week in Toronto in March 2016. Toronto is an incredible city with loads to see, and we also went on a day trip to Niagara Falls while we were there.

Walt Disney World, September 2016

Surprise surprise, we ended up back in Walt Disney World in September 2016. Although this trip was overshadowed by my cancer diagnosis, escaping to the most magical place on earth for two weeks was the ideal distraction.

London, October 2016

We went on an overnight theatre break to London in October 2016 to see Aladdin at the West End. I was still recovering from my operation so we had a slow couple of days, and it was lovely to get away for a night.

London, March 2017

We booked another theatre break in March 2017 as we loved the first one so much. This time we went to see The Lion King and it was absolutely amazing.

Walt Disney World, April 2017

I know I know, we can't keep away. This trip was only eight months after the last one which meant we didn't have to wait quite so long for it to arrive!

Wizarding World of Harry Potter, August 2017

I bought tickets for us to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Watford for Neil's birthday back in March. We booked our trip in August to coincide with our anniversary, and we had a brilliant time.

Florence, October 2017

It was time for us to try yet another part of Italy in October 2017. We loved Florence and I'd highly recommend it if you're looking for the perfect mix of culture, city life and relaxation.

Walt Disney World, May 2018

Back again... yes, we do enjoy going back to Walt Disney World every year. We just love it that much!

Llangennith, October 2018

We went on our first holiday with Jessie in October. It was so lovely to be able to take Jessie with us and we'll definitely be planning more dog-friendly weekends away in the near future.

Next stop... New York! 

The travelling bug

After travelling to New York earlier this year and planning for our second trip to Florida in September, I've become a bit obsessed with travelling and going on holiday. I'm already thinking about potential holiday destinations for next year, and Italy is very high on my wish list. I found the travel questions below on Luchesse's blog so I decided to give them a go as I'm so interested in travelling at the moment. I'm definitely not as well travelled as some (I didn't even get a passport until I was 21!), but I'm hoping to rectify this in the next few years. So here goes...


1. Which airport would you like to never see again?

I've never been to a terrible airport... I assume I'm very lucky in this respect! I wasn't a big fan of JFK airport in New York as I thought it would be much more impressive. It was also pretty stressful trying to find out where we needed to be at different times, but this could have just been because of the sheer size of the place. I'll be visiting Orlando airport in September for the first time (we flew to Sanford this year), so hopefully that'll be a continuation of my good experience with airports!


2. What is your travel nightmare?

Being told that my hold luggage has been taken to a completely different country and that it'll take days for me to get it back, or that I won't get it back at all. This would totally stress me out and would probably spoil my holiday, even though I assume I'd be compensated. The other nightmare would be massive delays... we experienced a 7 hour delay last October when we flew to Edinburgh from Bristol, and it wasn't pleasant!


3. Would your rather stay in a fancy hotel and do less activities or stay in a hostel and do more activities?

I'd prefer to go for something in the middle. For example, when we visit Edinburgh, we always stay in the Premier Inn which is very reasonable. It's always nice to stay in a fancy hotel, but I'd prefer to have enough money left over for food, attractions and souvenirs. I stayed in a hostel once and didn't have a great experience, so I wouldn't do it again.


4. Do you have any pre-travel rituals?

I absolutely have to write a list of what I need to pack. The list is divided into hand luggage and hold luggage, and items are neatly crossed off as I pack them. How on earth do people pack without a list?! I also have to clean my house/flat from top to bottom before I go on holiday. No one wants to come back to a messy home after travelling!


5. What is your favourite airline to fly with?

I've only ever flown with Flybe, EasyJet, British Airways and Thompson so haven't got much experience with a variety of airlines. British Airways has to be the best out of those four, and EasyJet is definitely the worst. They were the cause of aforementioned 7 hour delay... enough said.


6. If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I really really want to go to California. It even has a Disneyland!


7. How do you survive long haul flights?

I take a book or two, plenty of sweets, and a bottle of water. I don't tend to sleep much, so I amuse myself by reading or trying to watch a film. However, I'm yet to watch an entire film on a flight. I mostly spend the whole time wondering when my next meal will be arriving!


8. What is your favourite stamp in your passport and why?

Probably the one I had when I went to Florida last year, as it was the best holiday I've ever had.


9. What are your top 3 necessary items for travel?

a) Comfortable shoes! I love seeing lots of different places when I go on holiday, which usually means lots of walking. I definitely don't enjoy sitting on a beach all day.

b) My camera. Everything must be photographed. EVERYTHING. 

c) My hair straighteners. An everyday essential!

10. What's your favourite holiday photograph of all time? (I added this question myself, I don't like odd numbers!)

Taken from the top of the Empire State Building. I'm so proud of this photo!

Has any one else caught the travelling bug? Please leave me a link to your answers if you decide to tackle these questions :)